The relation between personality and the realism in confidence judgements in older adults

This study investigated the relation between personality factors, as measured by the Swedish version of the NEO-FFI questionnaire, and the realism in older adults' (aged 60-93 years, n = 1,384) probability confidence judgements of their answers to general knowledge questions. The results showed very small effect sizes for the contribution of the personality variables to the fit between the proportion correct answers and the level of one's confidence judgements. Although personality differed somewhat within the age span studied and between the genders no differences were found in the relation between the dimensions of the NEO-FFI and the degree of realism in the confidence judgements as a function of age or gender. In total, the results show a significant but very small effect of personality on the realism in older adults' confidence judgements of their semantic knowledge.